CHAPTER 4: MONASTIC VOCATION WITH ECUMENICAL IMPLICATIONS 143 Catholic brothers received Communion in a non-Catholic Eucharist. I think the community has beautifully and meaningfully reimagined this notion of power by adding the notion of sacrifice. Likewise, BF recalls how in the small community in Switzerland, the Protestant pastors of the region contemplated their liturgical practices. Several of the pastors decided to adopt the Roman lectionary, enabling them to prepare their Sunday homilies together with the Roman Catholic priests of the group. In addition, they discussed the frequency of celebrating Holy Supper in their congregations: The majority of them used to have only four time a year, once a month, uh, while a small group of these pastors, including some pastors that came to our group, they were convinced to introduce the weekly Eucharist in their parishes. Uh, but they were very carefully, uh, not to, um… … let people think that is was just a Roman catholic influence. So, we prepared also some, um, public session on the traditional~ the ancient church, the, how, when, and why, we arrived to, the catholic, to an everyday Mass, or at least to a Mass every Sunday.347 The episode demonstrates a willingness to adapt and a certain pragmatism in light of the concrete conditions similar to the strategy of the communities themselves. It goes beyond mere pragmatism, though, as it also reflects the deeply spiritual concept of the exchange of gifts. Exchange of gifts In Brother TB’s quote about adopting the Roman Catholic liturgy, he already indicated that the community acknowledged the special place of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic tradition. Brother TC, too, states that different churches have preserved different gifts of the Spirit. Thus, the Catholic and Orthodox traditions have reserved a central place for the Eucharist.348 In a similar way, TA gratefully marvels: To have the privilege here in Taizé to celebrate one of their most precious things, you know, the Eucharist, to celebrate that every Sunday, that is, that is a great good, and I understand… I understand on a personal level, you know… how, how rich that is….349 347 BF-1,2d. 348 TC-2,6c. 349 TA-1,30a.
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